Over 6,000 potholes repaired in Kirklees

Kirklees Council have been busy repairing over 6,000 potholes in the region over the past 12 weeks.

The repairs have been undertaken as part of the council’s pothole test, which uses different methods of repairing the roads.

The aim of the testing is to find solutions that are long-lasting and offer value for money.

The council are also looking at pothole repair methods that can make the process quicker and are suitable for roads and highways in both the rural and urban areas across Kirklees.

All repairs are being compared with the traditional method of saw cutting a rectangle around the hole and then picking out defective material before filling it with hot bitumen.

This is a method which works well with smaller holes but has on occasion been less effective on larger areas, leading to return visits.

The process is also slower than some of the new methods that are being trialled.

Councillor Musarrat Khan, cabinet member for Highways and Neighbourhoods, said: “Kirklees Council is one the first local authorities to lead in the use of these new cost-effective and innovative techniques.

“We believe that this testing will help us make sure we fill as many potholes as we can, to the highest standard, using the best possible materials for the job.

“Our council faces huge challenges ahead in terms of maintaining our roads due to the allocation of government resources.

“Weather conditions, terrain and topography are not factored in the funding allocation process, leaving councils like ours with a greater need but less money to meet this need.”

The new method of repairing will be assessed next year, with a detailed evaluation of the test ongoing once the repairs have been subjected to the British winter weather and plenty of traffic.

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